As I was praying the other day, I saw these words: "Honor your past." Wait, what? It wasn't something I had ever thought about before. Usually, when I thought of the past, there was pain: regrets and mistakes that I wish I could go back and change. Back to the future. Remember that movie? How many times have I wished we could really do that? More times than I can count, I will tell you that much. If you are like me, you've gone over the past countless times, maybe

I grew up on welfare in government subsidized housing in an abusive and violent home environment by a parent who had a mental illness. As a result, I struggled with my self-esteem. I was told I was worthless, and I believed that lie, but once I attended university and did very well in my classes, and loved learning, I realized that I did have something to offer the world.